People with vision loss who are already employed will normally have the required skills, equipment and modifications to do their job and continue their career.

From time to time, as jobs, technology and systems change within the workplace, you may need to upgrade equipment, undertake further training or change job roles. The key to managing these changes lies in communicating with your supervisor or manager.

The Employment Assistance Fund is available to your employer to provide you with new equipment, installation and training to help you make the changes. The JobAccess website has an Employers and Managers section that will help your employer access the Employment Assistance Fund and other services.

The JobAccess website also provides advice for employees on succeeding in a job by maintaining and developing skills and having a good work and personal life balance. You can speak to a JobAccess advisor at any time for advice and support. This is a free and confidential service.

Changes in Your Vision

If you are already employed and are experiencing problems with your vision, the first step is to have an eye health check-up. Visit your local GP or optometrist who may refer you to a specialist if required.

Having determined the cause of your vision loss, it may be that your vision problems can often be overcome using simple additions to your workplace such as:

Extra lighting
Portable or desktop magnification systems
Changing fonts, colours and settings on computers.

Disclosure to your employer about your vision problem is always recommended but this is a personal choice, and the timing is, of course, up to you.

There are several services available to help you:

Call the JobAccess service and speak to an advisor confidentially. The JobAcces advisor can refer you to a service that will help you while you manage the vision loss and provide assistance if you fear you job might be in jeopardy. the earlier this process is started the better the outcome is likely to be.
Contact us. We require eye information from your GP or specialist to determine if you can access our services. You can then be referred to a social worker, who will help you deal with issues around your vision loss, and in particular, disclosure to your employer.

Remember that most employers are very helpful and willing to assist you to retain your current job, obtaining modifications if required. Most employers will also consider retraining or redistributing duties to ensure that you keep your job.

Employment Assistance Fund

When changes occur in the workplace as a result of vision loss, employers have access to advice and financial assistance to help you keep your job. The Employment Assistance Fund is operated through JobAccess to provide equipment and training to enable your workplace to be modified to meet your specific needs. Information about the scheme is available through JobAccess.